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Lake O'Hara bus

My husband and I are hoping to be able to include a trip to the Lake O'Hara area during our summer trip to the Canadian Rockies. I understand I need to call for reservations three months in advance, which I plan to do. Does anybody have any experience with making reservations for a dayhiking trip? I understand that campers and those staying overnight in the lodge also need to take this bus. Doesn't that limit seats even more for the dayhikers? Do they have a phone system which puts you in a "queue" or do you have to keep calling back if you get a busy signal? Thanks for any help you can give me.

By the way, I have been reading many informative posts, which have helped me plan my upcoming trip, on this forum.

I have been to Lake O'Hara quite a few times. There is a definite quota system in place. The Lodge, the campground, the Elizabeth Parker Hut, and the number of day hikers all have visitation quotas.

A specific number of seats for day users is established and strictly enforced.
If you call 3 months in advance, credit card in hand, you should get your dates. I do suggest that you NOT select a weekend date in July and August.

You can walk from the parking lot to the Lake, but not many American types opt to do so because of the length of the trip.

I was there one day when a Spanish group walked it. It is 6 miles and they made it in under 2 hours. They could walk faster than I can job. Then they took to the alpine trails high above the lake.

Talk about people who were physically fit!!!!

The last time I called for a reservation, the technique was to start calling about the time the reservation line opened, and keep pressing redial until you get in. The system in the last 18 months may have been modernized, but in the spring of 2005 it had not been nor had it been in
September of 2005.

Check the Yoho web site; it might offer up a clue.

At any rate, do what it takes and get there! Once you do, head for Lake McArthur along the high line trail.
You will not find a better hike unless you want to do one of the alpine routes which can be a tad dicey. The Yukness Ledge scramble is a fun one, but it is more of a route marked with paint blazes on the rocks. At one point you are on a point that looks straight down about 1400 feet directly into the emerald waters of O'Hara.

Maybe this will help. I called on March 29 to get 3 reservations for a day trip on June 29. I started calling at exactly 8:00 (or a few seconds later) and got a busy signal. I kept hitting redial and finally got through after about 20 minutes. No problems once I got through.

Let me list 4 destinations to consider, which are my favorites
1. Lake McArthur via the highline trail.
I suggest avoiding the low trail. It goes down in a hole and you climb up to the lake through boulders with limited views.

1. (Tie.) Opabin Lake to Lake Oesa via the Yuckness Ledge route. (or reverse) It is fairly difficult, but can be shortened by not going all the way to Lake Oesa.

2. Lake Oesa alone

3. Opabin Lake alone

4. Odaray Prospect depending on the bear closure situation. The wardens have put in various trail usage procedures that seem to vary from year to year. The problem is that the trail to the Odaray Prospect crosses a bear migration route.

I don't think you can go wrong, and the order of the choices is purely my personal preference. Others may well have a different agenda.

The All Souls Alpine route could well be the most spectacular one, but that trail is only for strong hikers who know how to handle high trails with considerable steep exposures. If you are a seasoned hiker, then go for it.

Ciao!~ (i am on my mother's account)
I have worked at Lake O'Hara Lodge for the past two summers and am returning this summer. It is the most beautiful place in the world, and if you plan on going to the area, it is worth your while to hike up the road or try to get a ride up on the bus. When you do get up to the lake, make sure to stop at the day shelter Le Relais and indulge in a piece of the finest carrot cake around. There are a range of hikes for all types of hikers. if you are around the lodge at lunch time, they often allow day hikers to have lunch for a reasonable price. The lodge also has a Saturday Night Show with entertainment given by the staff, including musical acts and scits. This is a good idea if you are at the Elizabeth Parker Hut or camping at the campground. You can usually pick up some tickets at Le Relais.
I hope to see you this summer in the beautiful Canadian rockies.
Cheers!

Good news! We got our reservations for the Lake O'Hara bus for July 18. Started calling as soon as the lines opened and got through in about 5 minutes. Thanks for your advice re: making the call.

Now I'll have to study these hiking recommendations more carefully. I was hoping to possibly do Lake Oesa and Lake McArthur if there is time. Bob, thanks so much for your detailed descriptions of the hikes in the area. The only thing I want to avoid is walking on narrow ledges.

And carrot cake at the end of the hiking day sounds delicious. We'll be sure to stop at Le Relais Day Shelter.

As for whether or not Lake MacArthur has narrow ledges is tough to say because at age 73 they did not bother me. On the other hand we were asked several years ago about that hike while we were still in the parking lot. My wife and I both commented that there was nothing really narrow.

A few hours later we were on that very trail. This time I was paying a little more attention to the trail itself. I finally decided that the man who asked me the question could well conclude I was either a liar or crazy.

Even so, I have no problem with the Highline Trail.

Be aware that all mountain trails present hazards, even ones that look relatively flat. I slipped and fell on the trail to Twin Falls Chalet in a place that looked innocuous.

irrecommend, somehow I missed that you would be working at Lake O'Hara. Would you be so kind as to post a "summer" report when you finish? Although a trip there isn't in the cards for me this summer, I could enjoy it vicariously through you. And tell Allison and Bruce their friends in North Carolina dream of coming back SOON!

cmcfong-its my daughter who worked there as she said at the beginning of the post. This will be her third summer. She loves the place and has had many great experiences Highlight last summer was climbing Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy.

Just adding to reports of Lake O'Hara. My brother is an avid cross country skier and he and his club do several treks a winter to the Lake. It is one of the highlights of his skiing adventures. He is 70 and does it no problem.

I live in Calgary and have been thinking about doing a day hike to O'Hara for what seems forever! Thanks to the info you've provided above I think I'll try to get reservations for the bus this summer.

My question is regarding the bus trip back to the parking lot. When does the bus return - hourly or otherwise? Does anyone know when the last bus returns? I'm wondering how long day trippers can stay in the area and still get a lift out rather than tacking on 6 miles at the end of the day.

The walk from the parking lot to the lake is a little more than 6 miles one way. Do it both ways and you are close to 13 miles without doing anything other than getting there.

The Cataract Brook trail is no longer maintained, so by now it is full of down trees blocking the path, thus leaving the dirt road as the only real alternative.

The road is fine for walking, but it is a long ways uphill.

Last bus out is 6:30 pm.
First in at 8:30 am.

Not many people walk the road to the lake, but I have seen it done. One year a party of people from Spain were there. They walked it in less than 2 hours. The left before the bus did and we passed them on the way.

Shortly after 9 am they were at the La Relais shelter cabin. I guess they did it in about 1 hour and 45 minutes or less. They were however experienced, well-conditioned hikers who could move it along very, very well.

Don't give up on Lake O'Hara too easily because it is worth the effort, or at least I think it is. For myself, I cannot imagine a trip to Yoho without visiting Lake O'Hara. Sort of like a trip to Niagra and not seeing the falls.

There are a few seats on the Lake O'Hara bus that are held for that day only.
There is a chance you could get one of those. I am not sure of the procedure because I have always reserved in advance. Here is a clipping from the Paks Canada web site:

24-Hour Bookings for Lake O'Hara

Parks Canada reserves six day use places and three to five campsites for 24-hour bookings. These places are reservable by telephone only. They can be booked by contacting 250.343.6433 the day before you wish to visit O’Hara. Each individual may reserve either two day-use places, or one campsite. These are usually filled within 10 minutes of the office opening.

The Lodge does not say much about the bus schedule because it no longer operates the buses. The contractor which now runs the buses tends to change the schedule without telling the lodge.

As a result, the lodge does not post the schedule any longer because it runs the risk of misinforming the guests.

You get your bus time when you confirm your reservations. By then the schedule is usually known. If it changes, you can be notified.

If you go in on the first afternoon bus, you have only about 2.5 hours to enjoy the area. I don't think it is a good investment of time and money, but if you really want to see the lake ...

To be honest with you, as beautiful as Lake O'Hara is, it is the hikes that take you up so you can look down on the lake that are the most thrilling.

I am not longer physically able to do the Yukness Ledge, but that was one unforgettable moment when we stood on the ledge and looked almost straight down to the emerald green waters of the Lake from about 1,500 feet above.

I think I can still do Lake McArthur! And the highline trail to that lake is incredible in its beauty.

Don''t laugh at this one: But I have been there when people have tried to bribe people who had tickets into selling them! I kid you not.

I am not sure what my price would be.
If I was offered $1,000 US per ticket I think I would waver a little.
At $1,500 per ticket I would be tempted to sell. Not sure if I would or not. Depends on the sky.